The Local 913: The Chad Sipes Stereo

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Chad Sipes is a busy guy who often finds himself splitting his attention between his family, his business, and his band. "You beg, borrow, and steal from each one of those," he says. "If you have a pie chart of the three things, not one of them can ever be full at the same time. But, luckily, the guys in the band are always willing to play. They’ve always supported me and I’m so thankful for them! They’re always happy to show up and learn my music. I mean, can you imagine??"

Sipes was in the band Sodajerk who got a taste of national attention in the 1990s, but decided to start his own band about 15 years ago, not quite knowing how it would all work out. "It’s funny," he says, "Because I did name it after myself because I never imagined I’d be able to hold a lineup down – the same lineup of guys – so I said it will always be revolving and I’ll just keep my name on it to keep it consistent. 15 years later, it’s pretty much the same lineup."

As a writer, Sipes tries to not get too personal with his music, saying, "I like to write stories. I like to write from the point of view of different people and different kinds of people. I try to get inside them a little bit. Mostly, I’m a storyteller."

The song “Extinct” from the group’s latest release, Dig, is definitely a story, though the metaphorical parallels are hard to ignore. Sipes says, "It’s sort of about the environment and people making decisions to dump a giant load of tires in a landfill in a town. You can’t bury tires. They always come to the surface. It’s just impossible. It’s sort of a unique thing to write a song about, but it works. I promise."